Under My Skin
by Byzinha Lestrange
Summary: High school is over, but that's just the beginning of their lives. They have a daughter now, everything is new. They're family. / Malo feelings. A lot. Sorry if it sucks
1. Family

**A/N**: OMG, what am I doing?

Alright. Hi. Me again. I had this epiphany right after the finale of season 6. It is but it's not a drabble. Some chapters are a paragraph, some are quite too big to be named a drabble. I'm loving to write it, srly. I have 9 chapters already beta read (thanks Wan!) and I think I'm gonna go on posting them.

Also, I have another fic with this same format, parallel to this one with my crackship that I never thought I'd be able to crackship again, but I totally am - Franky/Rich. Please, don't kill me. It's not posted anywhere and only my spirit animal Anna read it. Just letting you know.

This one is completely about Malo and the family they are building. Hope you like it!

**Disclaimer, tho**: I don't owe the characters, nor its performers. Not even Little Grace. :( They're all from Skins - that awesome and underrated TV show about crazy teenagers. You must know what I'm talking about. ~sigh.

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**Under my skin**

**1. Family**

They needed a week to pack Mini's stuff and move everything to the farm. Most of Alo's things had been moved to the guest's room and now a white and purple crib occupies the space where his computer was before; a nursery and flowered wallpaper. Little Grace was home.

The crib was a gift from Rich and Franky, who also helped them fix Alo's room to welcome the baby. Franky also made a photo album with Little Grace's face's draw in its cover, her orange hair, freckled cheeks and big blue eyes ("Seriously, guys, her middle name should be Blue instead of Jamie! Jay-Z did it!" "Jay-Z is Jay-Z, Liv.").

Grace was a calm baby; tiny, fragile and very, very gluttonous. She didn't cry, though. Just a little, when she's hungry, but Mini just needs to hum some lullaby or Alo plays the guitar and there she was, not making a sound again.

Storms would come someday, but step by step they were learning how to live together. And when the storms would come, they'd be fine. Because they're family.


	2. Two Jobs

**A/N**: One more for yall. Gonna post more later.

Toodles!

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**2. Two jobs**

"Roundview, huh? I hired one of Roundview's ex-students once. He was great, you know… until things went down. But he was one of my favorites." He pointed a picture in his desk of him with a smiley guy with happy blue eyes.

"Oh… Nice." Alo said, smiling. "Cool."

"So… Alo. You're eighteen… never worked before. Why should I hire you?"

"That's a simple question, actually, Jim. I can call you Jim, right?" Jim just nodded. "Right. I work in my family's farm with my parents and everything, but that's not enough because… I have a baby. She's four months now, a tiny ginger thing that thank God looks like her mother and she has a lot of needs. Things are okay, but they can be better, I'm not gonna let my wife work when Grace needs her and I can have two jobs. I need another job. Also, I'm a quick learner."

Jim smiled, knowing that look in his face. Chris all over again. Maybe better.

Alo started immediately.


	3. Saturday

**3. Saturday**

Mini packed three baby bottles with her own milk, one with orange juice, three autumn outfits, diapers and reluctantly let Shelly and Eric take Grace on a Saturday walk in Bristol. She never did that, never wasn't by Grace's side, never let her alone.

Well, Grace was always with her or Alo. When the baby was with her grandparents, Mini or Alo were around. But they never, never allowed anyone to take Grace without them – not Alo's parents, not her mom. Mini loved all of them, but wasn't quite sure if it was time already. Her baby was everything she could think of while cooking, until she feels Alo's hands in her waist.

"You know where mum and da are?" he asked in her ear, making her shiver and giggle. "Oxford. Farm conference or something, Dewi went along. You know what it means, right?"

She was literally melting under his touch, losing her breath just with his breath in her hair. They haven't had time for themselves in months – not like before – and that was their chance. "Put your hands all over, put your hands all over me." He sang in her ear.

In one minute, they had forgotten about supper.


	4. Deal

**4. Deal**

"You look tired, honey." Mini said calmly, when Alo fell exhausted by her side in the bed.

"You guessed?" he barked back, his voice muffled by the pillow. Mini smiled.

"Well, it's your turn to tell her a story."

"I'm sleeping."

"Als."

"Just tonight, baby. Okay?" he turned around to look at her. He crawled to her feet where Grace was, watching him curiously with her big eyes, and kissed her forehead. "I sold a big summer house today, by the way. I worked my ass off, but totally worth it."

Mini tilted her head a bit, observing Alo, his tired eyes and lazy movements. Today was the day he worked at the farm and at Imobiliaria, the day when she asked herself if it really was such a good idea let him have two jobs.

"Als…" she started, knowing she probably would lose that one, but tried anyway. "I don't think you should work so much, honey, you're a wreck."

"No. It's just today." It wasn't.

"Quit the job, just keep with the farm. Grace's almost 8 months now, I can have a jo…"

"NO." he said firmly, sitting near her. "No fucking way. No."

"Alo…"

"I said no. I'm fine. The barn is almost done and we are actually saving money. You don't need to work, your work is Grace right now. Don't!" he cut when she tried to speak again. "Look, you can keep doing your translation stuff, something you can do at home. We made a deal, remember? When she's old enough we gonna find her a daycare, get back and study, have ordinary jobs, but right now, this is working." He pointed them three. "You know it is. This is the most important moment for you and her be together as much as you can. And when she's two, talkative and independent, you can have any job you want. It's our deal."

Mini breathed slow, pouting, and then smiled.

"Alright, ginger minge. It's okay. I just don't like to see you so tired…"

"Don't worry. Only once a week. It'll be over soon." Alo kissed her cheek fondly and took off his shirt. "I'll read for her twice in a roll, okay? Promise." He fell in his side of the bed at the same time Mini took a little book from under the bed.

"I'll read for you both tonight, then. _First Week at Cow School_."

Alo laughed and his laugh made Grace laugh. "Nice one."


	5. Promise Ring

**A/N**: It's a paragraph. Sorry.

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**5. Promise Ring**

It came with the house, like a combo. The day they moved to the barn, Alo opened champagne and put the ring on Mini's goblet. When she saw it and he proposed, she screamed and laughed and jumped and cried and kissed him and said "Of fucking course, farmboy!"


	6. Storm

**6. Storm**

Grace is that one in a million baby that is completely sweet. She never cries, she sleeps through the whole night, she smiles and clearly loves everyone and everything. She's beautiful. Her ginger hair grows in curls just like Mini's and she has freckles in her nose and cheeks. She even has dimples and her first four teeth popped out.

But one night, she wasn't perfect.

They were officially living in the barn for about one week. They couldn't call it barn anymore, because Alo did turn it into a home. New lights, new floor, the bathroom of Mini's dreams, and a second story with a real staircase leading to their bedroom that was just beautiful. He managed to build a house rustic and warm and Mini loved. Until they got scared that something would be wrong.

Something certainly was, they were sure, because Grace cried. One night, out of nowhere, she filled her lungs and cried as louder as she could. She had fever, she had pain, she had everything and she just never stopped crying. They didn't know what to do and Mini started to cry too.

Alo wanted to panic, but he couldn't. He needed to keep calm and do the right things, so he said the right words to calm Mini down, he put some warm clothes on a hysterical Grace, he called his parents telling them he was driving Mini and the baby to the hospital and provided coffee for everyone in the pediatric waiting room.

She never stopped crying, though. Her doctor said she had urine infection and would be ok soon, but she didn't. They could hear her unique scream from their seats and it crushed their hearts. Mini started to cry again and when she was allowed to be in Grace's room, no one could take her out.

Grace spent a whole 48 hours at the hospital until they say she could go home. She wasn't healed, she still had pain and she still cried, but she could go and cry in her house.

Mini and Alo were a wreck. When they started to think she was getting better, she cried even louder. They were terrified. They started to blame the barn. Last time they spent some time at the barn, Mini almost miscarried, now Grace was sick. She had spent nine months in the farm house and never had anything, not even cramps; one week at the barn and this.

More two days of that and they were almost packing everything back to his parent's house. They barely eat, barely talk, and barely slept. She couldn't be sick forever, right? She had to get better at some point, so why wasn't she?

On that forth day of distress, they tried and believed she was calmer. They gave her medicine, fed her and somehow she fell asleep. They watched. For four hours straight they just sat in their bed and watched Little Grace sleep, ready for the next round of screams and tears.

When she woke up, without a sound, they held their breaths and waited.

She looked at them, eyes as clear as the sky, moving her arms and legs, opening and closing her hands and smiled.


	7. Reward

**A/N**: Last one for today. Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated.

toodles!

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**7. Reward**

They laughed. Genuinely laughed, relief taking every inch of their bodies. They didn't want to hear her cry ever again in their lives, even though they know it'll happen again. Maybe not with the same intensity, but it will.

Mini nursed her while Alo bathed, Alo read for her to sleep while Mini bathed. They had pizza and Coca-Cola for supper. After cleaning the dishes, they went upstairs and saw that she was still asleep.

"Fuck it." Mini said, grinning. "Roll some splifs. We deserve a reward."

She didn't need to say it twice.


	8. Spring

**A/N**: Oh, woa! A few alerts and some lovely reviews, I'm so happy!

I'm posting two chapters tonight, two of my favorites, tbh.

The Civil Wars's song here in the epigraph is the song I imagined for Mini walking to Alo at their wedding. It's called Falling and it's beautiful.

Hope you guys enjoy it and ignore my prepositions issues.

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**8. Spring**

"_Tell me it's nothing  
__Try to convince me  
__that I'm not drowning  
__Oh, let me tell you I am"_

_The Civil Wars_

They got married during Spring break because it's when the weather is best in Bristol and because Rich and Franky could come from Uni. Liv was in charge with the flowers, Franky made the dress, Catherine and Shelly organized the garden. It was a small ceremony, but was lovely. Even David and Sonia Blood showed up and, beside the wedding gift, they presented Little Grace with one of their daughter's first ballet outfit.

"I envy your beauty so much sometimes." Franky said behind Mini, both looking at her reflection on the mirror. Her golden hair was braided Katniss style with baby's-breaths and white ribbons on it; her dress was simple and soft, the way she likes the most, with details in light pink. Mini laughed.

"Shut up, Franks."

"Woa!" Liv exclaimed when she entered in the room and Mini turned to her smiling.

"How do I look?"

"Fuck me, Franks, this is the best dress you ever made! Mins… you look perfect. No doubt Alo insisted your bouquet had to have Lilies. You sure look like a queen."

And even though Alo wakes up by his queen's side day after day, his jaw dropped while she walked to him; with her beautiful smile and the obvious happiness in her eyes.


	9. Odds

**9. Odds**

Every wedding has a drunken speech and that was Rich's charge.

"I wanna make a toast…" he started, struggling to keep still. "To the Creevey women. Mrs. Catherine, I've been bothering your family since always and I know you love me, even though you don't show this. I wanna make a toast to you, because you, ma'am, raised the best bloke in Bristol. Alo is the best mate I ever had and I don't know what would be of me without him. The other Creevey woman I want to dedicate this toast is the new Mrs. Creevey, Mini. I hate you so much some times." They all laughed. "But you did what seemed to be impossible: made Alo grow up, making him an even better guy. You gave the genes that make Little Grace this graceful, thank God." They laughed again. "I'm kidding. Anyway. What I really mean here, actually, is that you put your walls down by letting him in – no pun intended, please – and letting him, you let us and now we really know you. You two are the best for each other. I toast to you for making him happy."

Mini muttered a "Thank you" to Rich, who nodded.

"Last, but not least, I wanna have a toast to little baby Creevey, who probably is uber tired right now. She sure is Alo's best creation, even though they made her quite early. Let's face it, you guys could have waited a few years to make a baby. But somehow, she came at the right time, I guess. And she has the most beautiful name for the most beautiful baby. And Alo… I celebrate your existence every day, so I salute the Creevey women tonight. Cheers."

"Cheers."

A few hours later, Rich wasn't in the middle of women hurricane trying to catch the bouquet, but it landed in front of him. He looked up at Mini and she was laughing on top of the chair. She shrugged.

"Very funny, princess puke."

"Fuck you, I wasn't looking." She shouted back, but was laughing.

"What are the odds, Hardbeck?" Franky, that was sat by his side, said. "Must mean something."

"It mustn't." he replied annoyed, but not too much.

"Give it to me then. I could use some wedding luck." Liv, by his left, said, reaching for the flowers, but he kept it away from her.

"My bouquet."


	10. Steps

**A/N**: Hey, folks! This is c10! (you don't say!)

Posting more next week, okay? Loving all the views, reviews and alerts this fic is receiving. You're awesome.

Reviews are appreciated.

toodles!

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**10. Steps**

Grace started to walk at eleven months. She didn't even crawl, she just skipped right to the first steps. Mini was working on a translation when she saw her baby grab the couch trying and keeping balance.

"Oh my God." She whispered chocked, just watching for a whole minute Grace's attempts to put a feet after another and move forward. "Alo!" she called, not loud enough to startle the baby. "Alo! Come here!"

"What?" he shouted from upstairs and Mini shushed him.

"Easy! Just come! Bring the camera."

Confused, Alo did what she said. When he stopped by her side, she pointed Grace already halfway the length of the sofa and he smiled. In silence, they recorded her walking clumsily, always having the sofa as support. When it ended, she struggled to keep balance and when she found her gravitational center, she felt brave enough to try another few steps.

Mini was about to encourage her when Alo noticed something.

"What is he doing?" he asked curious.

That's when Mini noticed Rags was in front of Grace, walking backwards while the baby tried to get to him. They watched carefully how he seemed to be both excited and worried, kind of playing, kind of looking after her. Rags barked and Grace laughed, reaching for him and losing balance. Mini caught her easily and they all laughed.

"Woa, that's weird." Alo said, still recording. Mini still had Grace in her arms, kissing her baby's cheeks, making her giggle. "A good weird, though."

"I know, right? You look after her, Rags, right?"

The dog barked again, jumping around Mini, Alo and Grace.


	11. Rags

**A/N**: Look who's back! Three more chapters for yall. I'm so, SO happy with your feedback, guys! Few reviews, but I see the movement here, the views, the alerts. Thank yall so much!

Hope you like it!

xoxo

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**11. Rags**

Grace loved Rags. In fact, the first word that came out of her mouth was "Rags", shortly before her first steps. He loved her instantaneously too, simply because she was a perfect mix of Alo and Mini and he loved them both.

Now that she could walk, she was always where ever Rags was.

Well, she always tried.

Quickly, Mini and Alo understood that, if she disappeared, they should call for the dog. Time to time, they found her sleeping in Rags**'** basket, usually with Rags snnugled in next to her.

"Should we be worried?" Alo once said, not sure what to think about his daughter's best friend being a dog.

Mini smiled, watching Grace play with Rags. "No, I don't think so."


	12. Table

**12. Table**

Liv once asked why they had such a big table if there were only three people in their little family.

"Actually, Olivia, we're more than that." Alo said informatively. "I have an aunt and her daughter, my cousin, with her husband. They have two little boys and live in London. I also have an uncle in Oxford – he's Mumbage's brother – and he has another two kids. Plus, my grandparents are around a lot. That's not even including Shelley and Eric."

It's for nights like that, when they need to have such a big dinner table: to have cousins, aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents to celebrate life in a summer night, eat barbecue and loudly talk about embarrassing family things and create new memories.

Sure, they were a three person family and sure they considered their friends their family, but that… that was new and magical.


	13. Supper

**13. Supper**

"WOMAN! I'M HOME." Alo shouted, opening the door.

"I see." Mini said quietly. "And I'd appreciateit if you'd be quiet**.** Grace is asleep."

"Oh!" Alo exclaimed.** "**Already? It's only, like**…** 5 o'clock!"

"We went to town today, remember?" Mini explained. "She walked too much, she was tired."

"Good**,** I guess." He went to the kitchen, where Mini was putting lamb in the oven. "We're being sophisticated tonight?" Alo said, kissing her neck. She was wearing only a bathrobe and her hair was dipping wet. She smiled and turned to him, pushing him to the table.

"You think?" Mini said, opening the robe. "We have forty-five minutes."

Time isn't something they normally waste**.**


	14. Learner

**A/N**: I'm sorry, I took so long and this is not beta read :( My two options of beta (Wan and J) are too busy and I need someone to help me. Someone? Volunteers?

I'm posting three chapters today. I'm sorry for my bad grammar skills, I hope you like the story anyway. When I have it revised, I'll repost.

For those who are interested (no one), I posted the first three chapters of my Franky/Rich fanfic, its name is "She's Scared to Breathe" (and I particularly love this title very much).

The epigraphy here, in c14, is from David Levithan's "The Lover's Dictionary" that is awesome and you should read if you haven't already.

toodles.

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**14. Learner**

"_Sometimes desire is air; sometimes desire is liquid. And every now and then, when everything else is air and liquid, desire solidifies, and the body is the magnet that draws its weight."_

_David Levithan_

Some mornings, when they wake up really early, they check on Grace and get back to bed, but not for sleeping. These mornings are for making love, when they are quite and hot, when they have sex for breakfast. They look in each other's eyes and mark each other's body, breathing heavily and feeling everything. And when they finish, they kiss slowly and Mini asks him to stay a little longer and he stays, breathing in her neck.

That morning, after all that stuff, Mini distracted herself from Alo's grip and looked at the empty white bed by the wall. Empty?

"Where's she?" she asked, urge in her voice.

"Who?"

"Grace."

Alo lifted his head to look at the bed. "Fuck." He said, getting up and putting a underwear on. He checked under the beds first. "Nice. GRACE?" he shouted, going downstairs.

Mini took her time to get up, though. She knew Grace couldn't have gone far; she doesn't even reach any doorknob. So she put on a panty and one of Alo's shirts before go downstairs too. The TV was on in some kids channel and Alo was behind the sofa. He looked at her and signalized for to approach. When she looked down to the sofa, Grace was there, lying on Rags and watching Backyardigans. She looked at them.

"So you are one of those who don't answer when asked, huh?" Alo said, and Grace smiled. "You turn it on by yourself and put in that silly channel by yourself? Because I'm pretty sure I was watching Game of Thrones last night."

She didn't say a word and got back to the TV.

"She's a leaner." Mini said. "A very quick learner."

"She's one and a quarter."

"I know."

"Scary."

"But good."

"But good. Those kids."


	15. Genetics

**15. Genetics**

Our body is made of fifty percent of our parents' genes. Fifty percent of what makes mom _mom_ and dad _dad_. Sometimes, one is stronger than the other, that's why Mini looks so much like Shelley, Shelley's genes were stronger. Sometimes, both half find balance, an interesting combination – what explain Alo pretty well (a bunch of recessives, though).

But, sometimes, genetics is so expressive we end up having people like Little Grace. (Again a bunch of recessives, making her ginger. No doubt it'd happen, you just have to _look_ at Mini and Alo and you _know_). If you look at Little Grace from one angle, you see Mini: the nose, the eyelashes, the curly hair, the wide smile.

But if you look from another angle, you see Alo: the exactly same hair color, the freckles, the puppy eyes, her talkative attitude, her laugh, her wildness and kind look.

Sometimes, genetics makes no mistakes.


	16. Ribbon

**16. Ribbon**

"There you are! Looking even prettier, if that's possible!" Franky said, after finishing Grace's hair. Liv held a mirror in front of them. "See?"

"Looking like a princess, Gray."

"I _am_ a princess, aunt Liv." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Talking like your mother as well."

Mini laughed and lifted her camera.

"Go on, Liv. I wanna take a picture of you three while Grace's still presentable."

"What do you mean?" Franky asked, her smile fading.

"Oh… you know, all that ribbon stuff is pretty cute and everything, but she gets bored very quickly. I'll give half an hour until she takes everything off. Believe me, I know. So… enjoy while you can!"

"She wouldn't do that, she's a princess!" Franky said again, not believing.

"Franks. She's a _farm_ princess. She's Alo's daughter. You can't expect her to chose fashion over comfort."

"You know what I don't get?" Liv said. "She's your daughter too."

Mini just looked at them and tilted her head, indicating Grace, who already was pulling one of the ribbons.

"She's Alo's daughter."


	17. Second Family

**A/N**: Oh, wow. It's been a while '-' Hello.

This is still not beta read, I'm sorry if my grammar suck. I've been focusing on my own book this last month, very excited about it. But everyone is missing a bit of Malo, right? So, I'm back. Three more chapters, you guys.

I suppose no one is reading anymore, but I'm gonna keep posting. Even though I'd love your review.

xoxo

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**17. Second family**

That Thanksgiving, Liv did the preyer.

"I'm grateful for having an amazing year. Grateful for my family; grateful for my friends – because they're my second family. Grateful because we can have Alex, Rich and Franky here. Grateful because we can forgive. Grateful because the rumors that Alo can cook are true and because Mini did learned something with her mother-in-law. I'm grateful for Little Grace, because she makes things easy – life easy. Amen."

"Amen."

"That was a long prey, Liv, I'm hungry." Rich said in a mocking tone.

"Fuck you."


	18. Dynamics

**18. Dynamics**

They work like a clock; Little Grace is their gravitational center. Everything they do is connected to her somehow, even if it doesn't have to do with her.

It was quite amazing how they managed to became this live organism: the girl who wanted to be an independent employer, the guy who wanted to be independent. The two people in the gang that never really thought about family discovered that they're _naturals_.

They had their own dynamics and were perfectly happy with that.

Observing them, Franky asked herself if she was damaged to the point of never find someone who'd make her feel that way.


	19. Monsters

**A/N**: This is, particularly, my favorite. I was so shocked when I saw that Maurice Sendak died. He wrote the most magical book I've ever read, he is one of my favorites authors ever and I wish I had 1/3 of his magic when I write.

You know, I wrote this chapters months ago, before what happened, but it seems important now, having one of his books quoted on my little story. He spread his magic to so many generations... I know I'm not making much sense here, it's just that... We have to spread it more, we have to... read his stories to our kids and little cousins and just never forget how real books - paper and ink, hardcovers - are awesome and important and how they smell so good and make you feel better.

That's why I like to write the scenes with Little Grace and her parents being family. I remember when we first saw the characters profiles, back in season 5, and how Mini likes to read. I wanted to keep that up.

I'm rambling. Here comes the chapter. Hope you guys like it as much as I do.

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**19. Monsters**

"Dad? DAD!"

"I heard the first time, Hurricane."

Grace smiled. She was hanging on the sofa and, in fact, looking like a hurricane: her curly hair was a mess, her eyes were wild and the smile goofy.

"Dad, I'm tired."

"Yea?" he put his beer down the table and looked at his mates before talk to her again. "So what?"

She showed them a book. "Read for me to sleep." He frowned. "Pretty please?"

"This book again?" she nodded as he turned to Nick and Alex to say "One of the few she didn't ripped apart. Alright."

"I gave it to her." Rich said proudly. "I knew she'd love it."

"Don't get cocky, Richard." Alo said from the sofa. Grace sat on his lap and he opened the book. "You know this by heart, don't you?" Grace smiled. Alo started to read. "_The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another…_"

"You guys read for her every night?" Alex asked Mini. She nodded.

"Yes. Since she was six months and started to really connect things and learn. Last week we finished Hugo Cabret."

"No doubt she's so smart." He said.

"She's probably smarter than Nick, if we test." Franky said and they laughed.

"Ha ha, very funny, Frankster."

"It's kind of true." Liv said while Franky, still laughing, petted Nick and he avoided her, annoyed.

"_…'and now', cried Max 'let the wild rumps start!_'" Alo read a little louder. He and Grace started to roar like monsters and laugh until they were out of breath. "It sure was scary, Hurricane, you could be the queen of the wild things!"

Grace was still laughing when she said "I know, dad! I should!"


	20. Farewell

**A/N**: WOA, LOOK WHO'S ALIVE!

I was blocked, _Priorities_ went down, guys :( I'm thinking of revising it and posting again some day, but I'm working really hard on my book, so I don't have much time soon ._.

I do have, tho, three more chapters here, and other two in She's Scared to Breathe. I wrote them ages ago, but again: the block thing.

Hope you guys still remember me, still like my writing (even tho I suck, sorry, I'm beta-less), and still wanna review.

Planing to see yall soon!

toodles!

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**20. Farewell**

After New Year, Liv came to visit the Creeveys. She had cut her hair, let it in its natural and was wearing a very summer-y outfit for January.

"I'm leaving." She said.

"What do you mean?" Mini asked.

"I mean leaving the town. The country."

"WHAT?" they shouted together.

"Alex sent me tickets to Australia. I'm gonna travel around the world before trying some more Uni applications."

"When will you go?" Alo asked.

"Today. Like… now, basically."

"But… Liv… we…" Mini fumbled. "How am I gonna live without you?"

Liv just smiled.

"I'll be back in a year and a half, pinky promise. And you'll be fine! Grace is almost two, she's so beautiful and lovely. You guys have been doing such a great job raising her!"

"She'll miss you too."

"I'll call every now and then. And I'll send cards. And gifts. Look, I'll miss you guys _so much_. But that's something I always wanted to do. I'm gonna… learn Portuguese and eat weird Chinese food, but I'll never forget you. And when you least expect, I'll be back."

"I wanna punch you." Mini cried, pouting. Liv smiled again, not completely able to hide the tears.

"Promise me something, okay?" she said to Mini, holding her hands. "She's almost two. Promise me you won't choose comfort. You need to go back to school. Sign some applications and be a lawyer. Or an architect. Or a fashionist. You need to. This world will be too small for you if you don't and you'll be tired. I don't want you to be tired or bored, because it can destroy you and you have a beautiful family. You still are nineteen, life has so much for you yet! It's on hold. I know you guys made a deal." She looked at Alo and Grace in his arms. "Make it happen, okay? Promise?"

They nodded.

"Promise." They both said.

"I gotta go." Liv whispered.

"No!" Grace cried and jumped to her arms. Liv hugged her, Mini and Alo.

"Aunt Liv is going to miss you, Hurricane."

"Don't go…" she cried again, holding tight on Liv.

"You don't understand yet, baby. I'll be back soon."

"I'll eat you up, I love you so…"

They laughed and Alo took Grace off Liv's grip. She whipped some tears and kissed Grace's forehead.

"I'll be back soon. Take care of them for me, okay?"

"Okay."

They got the first card two weeks later.


	21. Bored

**A/N**: The epigraph is Christina Aguilera's Bound to You, from Burlesque's soundtrack (I don't know if she really wrote this song, but I'm too lazy to care)

xx

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**21. Bored**

"_Do I risk it all? __Come__ this far just to fall?"_

_Christina Aguilera_

He knew she wasn't okay. It was obviously by the way they were having pizza almost every day for dinner, by how she was easily getting annoyed by things, how nothing was good enough. He knew it, because they were fighting over silly things, like wet towels and dishes. Because she snapped "don't fucking touch me" every time he tried to calm her down with a hug. Because not even Grace was out of her range.

But one day, at the supermarket, things got hairy. They were in the checkout line when Grace asked to eat a piece of cake and Alo allowed.

"_**Don't**_ give her more sugar." Mini snapped, taking the cake from his hands.

"Why not?"

"She already is electric, she already run around the house like crazy, we don't need to maximize it."

They stared each other and Alo took the cake from her hands too.

"Fuck it."

She took it back and he recovered it again, quickly opening it up and giving it to Grace.

"Fucking twat."

"What?"

"You're a fucking twat." She said slowly.

"Oh, right. Because I don't want our daughter to have a strictly neurotic diet, that's why I'm twat."

"She doesn't have to have a _strictly neurotic diet_, Alo, she just doesn't need to eat so much sugar."

"What sugar she ate today? She had milk and apple for breakfast, her morning snack was crackers! Stop pushing your skinny bullshit on her!"

"It's not bullshit! And she's healthy!"

"So she can have some cake, for fucks sake."

The look on Mini's eyes was like she could burn him. She was _so_ pissed. They stayed in silence for a few minutes.

"My 'neurotic bullshit' is what keeps her healthy. If it was for you, she'd eat every single crap at that farm and it'd be okay."

"Don't start."

"Oh, don't start? If it annoys you so much, why you bothered to even ask me to merry you."

"Mini. Don't fucking start, it has nothing to do…"

"It has everything to do with everything, Aloysius! What you call bullshit is what made you go all 'Oh, Mini is so beautiful' and it's what makes our baby beautiful too. If I had twenty more pounds I doubt…"

"That's when you're wrong, _Minerva_, are you listening to yourself? It's all bollocks. If you had twenty more pounds I wouldn't fucking care, as long as you still were you. I didn't fell in love with the way you look and you know that. I thought you were over that stuff, but it seems worse than ever the last few weeks. I mean, you never storm about a cake or dishes, we had a deal! I've been trying to fucking help you and understand, but you're driving me mad."

Mini frowned and looked ahead, avoiding his gaze. He hadn't finished.

"And you're wrong about Grace too. This is not what makes her beautiful, _everything_ about her makes her beautiful. She doesn't need to be skinny, she's only two! Seriously, Mini, what is wrong with you?"

"I'M BORED! I'M FUCKING BORED ALL THE TIME!" she shouted. "I'm tired of being home; I'm not a motherfucking housewife, Alo! I'm never gonna be! I am not the type of woman that stays at home waiting for her husband with dinner ready! I can't stand it anymore."

"I'm not forcing you, you know that! But you have to talk to me. I can't read minds! Everything always goes down when you stop talking to me." Mini looked down, still avoiding him. "_Stop bitching and talk to me._"

"Dad, I want more." Grace interrupted and they both shouted, without even looking at her.

"No!"

"But…"

"I said no, Grace." Alo said firmly, looking at her. She pouted, her eyes getting bigger. "Do not… no. Grace. Don't." she stopped halfway to burst into tears, but she kept looking at him with those puppy eyes. "No is no."

"I'll wait in the car." Mini said and Alo looked ahead. Now _he_ was pissed. "Give me the keys." He breathed slowly. "Give me the fucking keys now."

He handed her the keys.

"Are you taking her with you?" he asked to her back, and she answered with a simple:

"No."

It made him roll his eyes.

"Dad? Now I can have more cake?" Grace asked when Mini was far enough.

"No, Gracey! You just ate one. Later, okay?"

"I'll remember that."

"I know."

Alo looked to his left and a guy in his forties was looking at him and smiling; he tried to smile back.

"Such a hurricane, your woman, huh?" the guy said and now Alo's smile was legit.

"That's true. They both are."

He looked at Grace again and she was hanging on the shopping cart, trying to catch something. He pocked her knee and she sat straight again, smiling widely.

"You're your mother's daughter."


	22. Reconciliation

**22. Reconciliation**

Mini was waiting in the car, but got out while Alo put Grace in her car seat. She didn't help him with the groceries, though. She just waited outside in silence, eyes down. When he finished, he stopped in front of her and waited.

"I think I need a job." She said low, looking at him. Alo smiled – it was like she was _asking_ him.

"Okay."

"I'm sorry I was a bitch, I was tired."

"I know. I just didn't know why." He rolled one of her curls in his fingers. "It's okay. Maybe it's time for us to sign in some applications, what do you think?"

Mini smiled and kissed him softly. "You're too good, honey."

He laughed and embraced her, kissing her cheek and making her giggle.

"What do you think?"

"I think it's great."

"Good. We'll do that, then."

"Okay."


	23. New airs

**A/N**: Oh hay! It's been a while. I'm still working on my book, two books now. Ideas going through my mind and stuff. But the other day I was missing my Skins' babies, so I decided to post a few more chapters here. I'm not writing this fic anymore, but I do have some backup chapters I can post any time.

Today, I'm bringing three more. They aren't beta read but I don't really care anymore. People have stuff to do, it's pretty hard to have someone available.

Fell free to review and thank you for the ones who waited.

* * *

**23. New airs**

"Mom?" Grace's voice called for what seemed to be the umpteenth time. "MOM?"

Instead of answering her, Mini kept talking to Alo.

"Is that the last box? Tell me it's the last box."

"Only this and more two." He answered, putting the box on the pickup and kissing her cheek.

Mini sighed and followed him back home. When they went outside again with the last pair of box, Grace was trying to put Rags inside the car.

"Grace! What the fuck are you doing?" Mini shouted.

"Trying and taking Rags with us to London."

They looked to each other, deciding in silence who'd have that talk with her again. After almost a whole minute, Mini was the chosen one. She put the box on the pickup and kneeled to speak to her daughter.

"Sweetheart, we already talked about it, remember? We can't take Rags with us." She said, pulling down Grace's constantly messy hair.

"Why not?"

"Because! He's a farm dog, Grace. He only knows how to live with space. We're going to live on an apartment, it'll drive him nuts. His home is _here_."

"It's not fair." Grace cried, pouting. Mini tilted her head, her heart ached.

"I know it's not. But we're not going far, London is only two hours away from here, we can come any time. And Rags will be waiting for us, he'll always be waiting. Dogs don't forget."

"Don't they? Promise?"

"Promise. And how could he forget about you, Hurricane? He's being your guardian since you were born. He loves you. But right now we've got to let it go. We've got to go."

Mini looked back, just to see Alo playing with the dog and laughing. It hurts for them all to decide that the best thing for Rags was stay at the farm and she knew Alo's effort to try not to break, to show Grace that it's okay not take the dog with them. She looked at her daughter again.

"Why don't you go and say goodbye to him? Tell him we'll be back next weekend."

When they were driving out of the farm and Rags tried to follow the car, Mini pretended she hadn't saw Grace's tears, or Alo's. She was trying to hold her owns.


	24. London

**24. London**

They moved to London because Alo's older cousin – Cosette - offered them jobs on her husband's company and they were approved in London's universities. Alo got evening Economy classes and Mini got morning Architecture classes. They found a daycare for Grace, the same daycare of Arthur and Dylan, Cosette's kids, and with their bank account almost zeroed, their lives restarted.

That was a new town, new college, new house and new everything, so different from Bristol, from the farm, but they were ready.

They were so ready.


	25. Insomnia

**25. Insomnia**

One night, Alo woke up in a cold bed. Mini's side was empty. Stretching, he got up to catch a glass of water.

He found Mini on the hall watching TV, but it wasn't any TV show. She was watching a DVD Franky had sent that Christmas – one that they hadn't gathered enough courage to watch yet. He saw the card and the DVD box on the table and read it again.

_I was editing some of our videos when Rich brought me some new materials. David Blood had given it to him last summer, when they came for Little Grace's bday. I've been wanting to put something like this together in a long time, and I must say I'm very happy with the final product. I'm sending a copy for everyone – Nick and Matty, Liv and the Bloods – because I really think it's precious. Hope you like it._

_Merry Christmas_

_Love, Franky_

He sighed and joined Mini by the sofa; she was laughing at a scene of their performance at the play in their first year. Laughing and crying. She wasn't even trying to wipe her tears and her nose was red like a tomato. Alo kissed her forehead and Mini smiled at him.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Grace had a nightmare and I couldn't go back to sleep, so…" her voice was low and weak. "I thought I'd never cry about it again." She tilted her head, pointing the TV. He nodded and passed his fingers in her hair.

"You miss her and it's okay. It's a good cry. What's that word in Portuguese Liv said that describes what we feel about Grace?"

"Saudade." Mini said, before think a bit. "Something or someone you miss so much but you can't have back. You feel… saudades."

"Yes, exactly. It's a good feeling."

Mini laid her head on Alo's shoulder and raised the TV volume a little.

"I wish we had that word in English too." she said after a while. Alo agreed.


End file.
